Direct-acting engine



(No Model.)

H. G. WILLIAMS.

DIRECT ACTING ENGINE.

No. 460,617. Patented 00:. 6, 1891.

WITNESSES MEI Z02 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE G. WILLIAMS, OF LYKENS, PENNSYLVANIA.

DIRECT-ACTING ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,617, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed January 17, 1891. Serial No. 378,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE G. WIL IAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lykens, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direct-Acting Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to direct-acting engines, and more particularly to engines used to actuate rock-drills. These engines are operated either by compressed air,. steam, or other similar fluid, and may also be used to actuate pumps, air-compressors, and any other machines requiring a quick reciprocating movement.

This invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The figure in the drawing is a longitudinal section through the cylinder of the engine, showing all the valves and ports.

A is the cylinder.

Bis a long piston working in the cylinder and provided with a piston-rod b at one end for connecting it to the drill or other mechanical device to be Worked by the engine. hen the engine is used to actuate a rockdrill, the piston is revolved in the cylinder by any approved mechanism,for that purpose, and this mechanism may be applied to the piston-rod; but it is not shown in the drawing, as it does not form a part of the present invention.

G are india-rubber buffers at each end of the cylinder.

The cylinder covers, stuffing-box, &c., are not shown, as they do not dili er from those ordinarily employed.

D is the inlet for compressed air or steam, and d is a longitudinal passage communicating therewith and formed in the'side Wall of the cylinder A.

E are the inletvalves to the cylinder, resting upon the seats E at the ends of the'passage (Z, and e are the inlet-ports, extending from the under side of the inlet-valves and entering the cylinder near its ends.

F are valves resting upon the seats F above the said valves E, and e are the stems which connect the valves E and F together. The holes through the seats F are a little larger than the valves E.

G are removable caps for closing the valveohambers g, and adapted to be secured to the cylinder in any approved manner.

H are small ports which connect the valvechambers g above the valves F with the middle portions of the cylinder, and g are bosses in the passage (l for the ports H to pass through.

H are holes for lightening the cylindercasting.

A groove 19' is formed in the piston, and this groove has its length substantially equal to the distance between the ports H. Then the engine is used to actuate a rock-drill and the piston revolves, the groove 17' is made a circumferential groove extending around the piston, so that it may always be able to communicate with the ports H; but when the piston does not revolve the groove I) need not Wholly encircle the piston.

I are the exhaust-ports, formed through the side of the cylinder. Several of these ports may be provided, if desired, as fully described and claimed in a separate application filed on January 17, 1891, Serial No. 378,141. Small ports 4) are also formed through the side of the cylinder, substantially in line with the ends of the ports H, and thesaid ports 'icommunicate with the atmosphere,being extended longitudinallyin the side wall of the cylinder into the exhaust-ports I.

The action of the engine is as follows: When the parts are in the positions shown in the drawing and compressed air is allowed to enter the inlet D, the compressed air raises the valves at the rear end of the cylinder, because the area of the hole through the valveseat F is greater than the area of the back of the valve E and because the chamber g above the valve F is in free communication with the atmosphere through the ports H and t', the groove b, and the exhaust-port I. The compressed air passes through the valve E, down the port 6 into the cylinder, and propels the piston in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The forward motion of the piston closes the exhaust-port I at the front end of the cylinder, and also closes the small port II at the rear part of the cylinder. The expansion of the air in the cylinder, together with the momentum of the reciprocating; parts, carries the piston onward until the exhaustport I at the rear end of the cylinder is uncovered, the air being compressed in the front end of the cylinder during the latter part of the stroke of the piston. The forward motion of the piston also places the chamber g above the valve F at the front end of the cylinder in communication with the exhaustport I, also at the front end directly after it closes the small port H at the rear end of the cylinder. The piston, however, continues its forward stroke after uncovering the exhaustport at the rear end, because it moves with a very high velocity and because it takes a certain space of time for the compressed air to rush from the passage cl through the valve E and down the port 6 into the front end of the cylinder. Directly the piston arrives at the front end of its forward stroke itis propelled rearwardly by the air compressed in the front end of the cylinder and the compressed air which rushes in through the in let-port c. The piston returns to the rear end of the cylinder, and will continue to reciprocate in the cylinder as long as compressed air is supplied.

The engine can be started at once by merely turning on the compressed air, as the groove 11 is nearly always in communication with one or the other of the ports 11; but should the said groove 1) be exactly between the said ports and should the ports II and chambers g contain air of such pressure that the pressure of the compressed air in the passage d is not sufficient to raise either inlet-valve, the engine can be started by moving the cylinder or the piston by hand for a short distance longitudinally, so as to place the groove 1) in communication with one or the other of the ports II.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination, with a cylinder pro vided with inlet-ports, of a long piston working in the cylinder, and separate lift-valves resting upon seats at each end of the cylinder and normally closing the said inlet-ports and adapted to open automatically when the pressure behind them is released by the said piston, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a cylinder provided with inlet-ports and the small ports H, of a long sliding piston provided .with a groove, and separate lift-valves resting upon seats at each end of the cylinder and normally closing the said inlet-ports and adapted to open automatically when the pressure behind them is allowed to escape through the said small ports and groove, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a cylinder provided with inlet-ports and the small ports II, of a long revoluble piston sliding in the cylinder and provided with a circumferential groove, and separate lift-valves resting upon seats at each end of the cylinder and normally closing the said inlet-ports and adapted to open automatically when the pressure behind them is allowed to escape through the said small ports and groove, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a cylinder provided with the inlet-passage d, the valve-seats E and F, the inlet-port e, the valve-chamber g above the valve-seat F, and the small port 11 between the said chamber and the cylinder, of the two valves connected together and normally resting on the said seats, anda long piston provided with a groove adapted to uncover the said port A, thereby relieving the pressure in the said chamber and permitting the valves to open automatically, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a cylinder provided with an inlet-port,- of a long piston working in the cylinder and provided with a groove, a valve normally closing the said port, a small port opening into the cylinder and adapted to relieve the pressure behind the said valve and permit the valve to open automatically when the small port is uncovered by the said groove, and a second small port opening out of the cylinder and also adapted to be uncovered by the said groove, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a cylinder provided with an inlet-port and an exhaust-port, of along piston adapted to cover and uncover the said exhaust-port and provided with a groove, a valve normally closing the said inlet-port, a small port opening into the cylinder and adapted to relieve the pressure hehind the said valve and permit the valve to open automatically when the said port is uncovered by the said groove, and a second small port extending from the cylinder into the said exhaust-port and also adapted to be uncovered by the said groove, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix inysiguatu re in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE G. WILLIAMS. \Vitnesses:

FRANK PUCKEY, T. W. THOMAS. 

